Indicator



May 30, 1967 K. FAUL 3,321,854

INDICATOR Filed June 4, 1965 FIG.7

FIGS

7 INVENTOR.

KA R L. FA UL BY ,AHORNEYJ United States Patent 3,321,854 INDICATOR Karl Faul, 109 Gumpendorferstrasse, Vienna, Austria Filed June 4, 1965, Ser. No. 461,423 Claims priority, application Austria, June 12, 1964, A 5,087/ 64 3 Claims. (Cl. 40-5) This invention relates to an indicator for indicating prices of commodities of all kinds, a calendar or the like, which comprises a housing containing a plurality of adjustable endless belts, which extend in simple belt loops around two reversing pulleys for each belt and are provided with the numerals from 0 to 9, characters or the like, so that price numbers, dates or the like consisting of one or more digits can be adjusted in a viewing slot, which exposes those numerals or characters which are adjacent to one of the reversing points.

It is an important object of the invention to provide an indicator in which the housing is a simple plate, which may be any size and can easily be attached to any desired portion of the commodity to be provided with a price indication without damaging said commodity. To facilitate the change of the indicated price or the like, it is a special feature of the invention that each of the endless belts which carry characters or numerals extends around two spaced apart pulleys, which are rotatably mounted in said housing, and adjacent belts overlap each other and are staggered in the longitudinal direction by the width of one character.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown on the drawing. FIG. 1 is a front elevation showing the device. FIG. 2 shows the device in a top plan view. FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line IIIIII of FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a rear elevation showing the device. FIG. 5 is a fragmentary rear elevation with a modified arrangement of the guide slots. FIG. 6 is a front elevation showing a further embodiment of the device.

In the embodiment shown by way of example, which serves as a price indicating device, there are five endless belts 1 of equal length, which are arranged one on the other and are relatively staggered in the longitudinal direction by the width of a single digit. Each belt is provided on its periphery in equal intervals with the digits from 0 to 9 and is so mounted on the rear side of a plate 2 that the reversing points of all belts lie one beside the other with a spacing which corresponds to the width of a digit to be shown. A multidigit number results, which in the present case has five digits. A slot 3 which is formed in the plate 2 extends across this five-digit number. The height of this slot is slightly smaller than the width of the belts 1 so that disturbing gaps between the belts and the edges of the slot are avoided.

Each belt 1 extends around two reversing pulleys 4, 5, which are mounted at both ends in slots 6 or 7 of narrow bars 8, which extend at right angles from the rear side of the plate. The reversing pulleys 5 adjacent to the slot 3 are much thinner than the other reversing pulleys 6 and may have, e.g., the thickness of a wire pin or needle so that the steps between the numerals are flattened to such an extent that an impression of a flat reproduction of a number is created.

The pulleys 4 are larger in diameter than the pulleys 5 and are hollow and mounted on shafts 9, which are increasingly spaced from the plate 2, beginning at the lateral edge of the plate 2, so that there is substantially 3 ,321,854 Patented May 30, 1967 no friction between the contacting surfaces of the belts 1.

To facilitate the insertion of the belts into the device which has been described and to prevent a falling of the reversing pulleys or of the journals thereof out of the bearing slots, the two groups of the slots I6, 7 are oblique and diverge from the plate 2 and the belts consist of extensible flexible material. The insertion of the belts 1 begins with the lowermost belt, the main portion of which lies on the plate 2. First the reversing pulley 5 is inserted into the slot 7. Then the journal 9 is inserted into the slot 6 with stretching of the belt 1. The tension of the rubberlike belt 1 pulls the journal 9 into the slot 6. The length of the belt is chosen so that the inserted belt contacts the reversing pulleys 4, 5 under tension and does not form wrinkles and can be adjusted 'by imparting a rolling movement of the pulleys 4 by the cushion of the actuating finger under slight pressure.

To further prevent a falling of the pulleys 5 and journals 9 from the slots 7 and 6, respectively, these slots are slightly curved in cross-section, as is shown in FIG. 4, so that the ends of the pulleys 5 and journal 9 are elastically deformed and clamped in the slot.

The price indicating device which has been described may be pinned like a badge to a garment or may be placed with the aid of a supporting foot, not shown, like the known devices. The face of the plate 2 may be used for announcements. The number of belts and the numerals or letters or characters thereon may be selected as desired. In the embodiment shown by way of example, the two last numerals are smaller than the others and indicate a fraction of the unit of currency.

Various changes in design may be adopted. For instance, one group of slots may be replaced by holes, through which the pulleys and journals are inserted.

The device may also be used as a calendar or for indicating bank rates or the like. Depending on the size of the device, the slots for guiding the rollers may also have a diiferent design. As is shown in FIG. 5, the edges may be tapered to cut into the journals, which are made from correspondingly soft plastic material so that the edges form a guide. In this case the diameter of the journals is slightly larger than the width of the slot. To insert the pulleys, the device consisting of flexible material is bent so that the slots are widened. Then the journals are inserted and the device is released to return to its original position and clamp the journals.

The material of the belts is suitably rough on the outside, like silk rep, so that it affords the grip which is required for the movement of the belt.

As is shown in FIG. 6, a second viewing slot It may be provided between the viewing slot 3 to expose a portion of another belt, which indicates the amount of the commodity, the currency etc.

What is claimed is:

1. An indicator for displaying characters, comprising a support including a plate having a viewing opening therein and two substantially parallel bars extending from the back of said plate and disposed on opposite sides of said opening respectively, said bars having two sets of openings therein with the openings of one set disposed behind said viewing opening, pulley means mounted in the corresponding openings in said bars, and endless belts trained around the corresponding pulley means of both sets and causing characters to be viewed through said opening, the openings of each set in said bars being spaced a distance corresponding to the dimensions of a 3 4 character on said belts so that said belts overlap each References Cited other and are longitudinally staggered by the dimensions UNITED STATES PATENTS of a character, whereby only one character on each belt 1 is visible through said viewing opening. 498,053 5/ 893 Gfldellleyer 405 2. An indicator according to claim 1 wherein said 5 1518063 12/1924 Gottfned 40*96 openings in said bars comprise slots opening through the 254L776 2/1951 Murphy 4O5 rear edges of said bars, said slots being obliquely disposed FOREIGN PATENTS with the slots of one set being an ularly disposed relative to the slots of the other set so th t they converge toward 961917 4/1957 Germany said plate. 10 EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

3. An indicator according to claim 2 wherein said bar slots are slightly curved in cross-section. L CONTRERAS Assistant Examiner- 

1. AN INDICATOR FOR DISPLAYING CHARACTERS, COMPRISING A SUPPORT INCLUDING A PLATE HAVING A VIEWING OPENING THEREIN AND TWO SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL BARS EXTENDING FROM THE BACK OF SAID PLATE AND DISPOSED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID OPENING RESPECTIVELY, SAID BARS HAVING TWO SETS OF OPENINGS THEREIN WITH THE OPENINGS OF ONE SET DISPOSED BEHIND SAID VIEWING OPENING, PULLEY MEANS MOUNTED IN THE CORRESPONDING OPENINGS IN SAID BARS, AND ENDLESS BELTS TRAINED AROUND THE CORRESPONDING PULLEY MEANS OF BOTH SETS AND CAUSING CHARACTERS TO BE VIEWED THROUGH SAID OPENING, THE OPENINGS OF EACH SET IN SAID BARS BEING SPACED A DISTANCE CORRESPONDING TO THE DIMENSIONS OF A CHARACTER ON SAID BELTS SO THAT SAID BELTS OVERLAP EACH OTHER AND ARE LONGITUDINALLY STAGGERED BY THE DIMENSIONS OF A CHARACTER, WHEREBY ONLY ONE CHARACTER ON EACH BELT IS VISIBLE THROUGH SAID VIEWING OPENING. 